Todd Snider, the influential alt-country singer-songwriter whose wit and storytelling helped shape the Americana music movement, died on Friday at 59. His death was announced on November 15, 2025, on his official social media accounts by his record label, Aimless Records, which Snider founded in 2008.
Reports indicate Snider died from pneumonia. He had recently been hospitalized in Hendersonville, Tennessee, after being diagnosed with walking pneumonia following his return home from a previous hospital stay. His condition became more complicated, leading to a transfer for additional treatment before his death on November 14.
“Aimless, Inc. Headquarters is heartbroken to share that our Founder, our Folk Hero, our Poet of the World, our Vice President of the Abrupt Change Dept., the Storyteller, our beloved Todd Daniel Snider has departed this world,” the statement read.
Snider was born on October 11, 1966, in Portland, Oregon, and became a defining figure in the East Nashville music scene after moving to the city in the 1990s. His 2004 album “East Nashville Skyline” is considered a cornerstone of the alt-country world, capturing the gritty essence of the Nashville neighborhood that became his artistic home.
Snider released his debut album “Songs for the Daily Planet” in 1994, introducing audiences to his signature blend of humor, vulnerability and sharp observation. The album featured “Alright Guy,” one of his most beloved songs that showcased his ability to acknowledge personal flaws while maintaining an optimistic outlook. His music career spanned more than three decades, with his final album “High, Lonesome and Then Some” released on October 17, 2025.
Throughout his career, Snider studied under and befriended some of country music’s most legendary songwriters. The statement from his label emphasized his dedication to learning from giants in the field. “He got up every morning and started writing, always working towards finding his place among the songwriting giants that sat on his record shelves, those same giants who let him into their lives and took him under their wings, who he studied relentlessly,” the tribute stated, naming Guy Clark, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson and Jerry Jeff Walker as mentors.
Walker, whom Snider met during his time in Texas in the 1980s, became a particularly important mentor to the young songwriter. Snider’s connection to Prine was also significant, with several of his albums released through Prine’s independent label, Oh Boy Records.
Snider’s final weeks were marked by turmoil. He cancelled his tour in early November 2025 after what his team described as a violent assault outside his hotel in Salt Lake City. He was taken to a hospital for treatment of his injuries, and while there, Salt Lake City police arrested Snider and charged him with disorderly conduct, threat of violence and criminal trespassing. According to sources, police had no record of the assault described in the earlier press statement.
The singer-songwriter had been open about his struggles with chronic pain from spinal stenosis, a condition that affected him throughout his career. Despite these challenges, Snider maintained a rigorous touring schedule and continued writing and recording music.
Snider’s approach to songwriting combined sensitivity with humor, offering audiences what his label called “countless 90-minute distractions from our impending doom.” His ability to find levity in life’s challenges while addressing serious themes made him a distinctive voice in American roots music. The alt-country genre, which blends traditional country music with rock and folk influences, found one of its most authentic practitioners in Snider.
His songwriting resonated with audiences and fellow musicians throughout his career. Through Aimless Records, Snider maintained creative control over his music while supporting other artists in the Americana and roots music community.
Snider’s death represents a significant loss for the Americana and alt-country music communities. His work as both a performer and songwriter influenced a generation of musicians who valued authenticity and storytelling in their craft. His blend of humor, honesty and musical skill created a body of work that captured the complexities of American life while offering audiences connection and understanding through song.